Stephanie Winter

Hello! My name is Stephanie Winter, and I am a board certified psychiatric nurse practitioner who has been practicing throughout the great state of Arizona since 2017. I enjoy working with patients ages 18 and over who may be experiencing difficulty with anxiety, depression, trauma, mood disorders, ADHD, trauma, and interpersonal relationship dynamics.

My approach

I prefer to provide an individualized approach to therapy depending on the specific needs of each patient. I have found myself and my patients seems to have the best results utilizing Motivational Interviewing, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and Internal Family Systems therapeutic approaches. These techniques help build trust and enable me and the patient to partner together to achieve the desired goals for treatment the patient has identified.

My focus

My background and approach is a good fit for college students, young adults, middle aged adults, and older adults. There are multiple life transitions happening at these ages, and I work with each patient to partner with them on their wellness journey to navigate the stress and challenges these transitions may cause. These may manifest as depression, anxiety, mood swings, focus and concentration concerns, insomnia, relationship difficulties and physical symptoms. I am privileged to work with all of these ages and their most pressing concern(s).

My communication style

My communication style is active listening while providing a nonjudgmental, re-assuring, and safe place for patients to voice their needs and concerns. I am not afraid to offer encouragement and boundaries to also enable patients to learn assertiveness in their own lives. Patients feel heard and progress with measurable goals as we work together.

My journey to mental healthcare

I was raised in a community that did not value mental health as part of our wellbeing and had always been interested in psychiatry and psychology as a result. I started my professional journey as an R.N. in Illinois and worked in hospitals and public health settings providing home visiting services to high risk populations. I saw the lack of mental health services for people in almost every demographic and witnessed the detrimental effects this had on my community. Because of this, I became a psychiatric RN and then continued my education as a psychiatric nurse practitioner to help bridge this gap. I am truly blessed to have patients trust me with their most personal stories and to allow me to be a part of their journey.

My goals for you

During our first appointment, we establish the patients main concern and develop a goal to treat that main concern. The initial goal is usually short-term and focused on safety and security. As we progress in treatment and symptoms begin stabilizing, we work on identifying the patient's short and long term goals. We attempt to review these goals at each appointment to measure if we are on target and if we need to make adjustments.

My first session with you

The first session is your time to tell me your story as you feel comfortable. I will have you tell me what brings you to this appointment, what has worked well in the past, what has not worked well in the past, and what you are hoping to gain from this appointment. We work together to fill in the other parts of the story which will include your current symptoms and past and current contributing factors.